The present invention relates to a lancet device for performing a pricking operation, for example for use in taking skin capillary blood samples.
Our granted British Patent No. 1599654 describes and claims one particular form of automatic lancet device, which is characterized by the lancet travelling a curved path for example being carried by an arm which rotates around a pivot. The present invention is applicable to devices including devices of that type.
The present invention is concerned with lancet devices in which a finger guard (referred to in G.B. No. 1599654 as a disposable foot) is provided against which the finger rest in use, and through which or past which the lancet makes the pricking action. The guard prevents the lancet from penetrating the finger too far and reassures the user as well as assisting in locating the lancet device on the finger for use.
Whilst ejection of the used lancet without the need to contact it with one's fingers is provided for in the known device no such provision has yet been proposed or made in respect of the finger guard. The finger guard is also liable to become contaminated with blood after it has been used and despite the increasing concern about the risk of infection from contaminated blood of other users and medical personnel e.g. in hospitals, some years have passed before we came to the conclusion that this risk could be diminished by providing for mechanical ejection of a finger guard from the lancet device by operation of an ejector at a location removed from the finger guard.